What’s new in Blink: Live streaming enhancements, offline mode, and more

Why workforce communication is more important than ever for bus and coach teams

Across Australia and New Zealand, bus and coach operators are under more pressure than they’ve been in years.

As operators work to deliver safe, reliable services every day, the industry is navigating workforce shortages, rising operational costs, accelerating technology change, and increasing pressure to do more with less. Traffic congestion, network disruptions, and unplanned service changes add to that load, and there’s very little margin for error.

For many bus and coach operators, the question is no longer whether new technology is required. It’s whether legacy ways of communicating (paper noticeboards, depot briefings, email, and word of mouth) are now making things harder, not easier.

Blink is the platform bus and coach operators use to reach their entire frontline workforce in real time. Trusted today by nearly 30,000 drivers and depot-based employees across ANZ, it replaces paper noticeboards and fragmented messaging with a single hub for communication, safety, and operational updates.

As a platform used by operators around the world, Blink brings ANZ operators proven approaches from some of the most complex transit environments globally, and feeds what works locally back into how the platform develops.

The operational reality facing bus and coach operators

The challenges are well understood. What gets talked about less is what they actually cost to manage day to day.

The cost of driver churn

When a driver leaves, the loss is not just a vacancy. It’s the sunk cost of route familiarisation, safety accreditation, and network geography training, and an increased risk of cancelled services, reduced reliability, and financial penalties when contractual KPIs are not met. 

The zero-emission transition

As fleet technology continues to evolve, the knowledge gap grows. Engineering and operational teams need practical, real-time access to new maintenance protocols and safety procedures. How well operators bring their frontline through that transition will determine whether the rollout goes smoothly or creates new risk.

The “shadow IT” risk

Without a dedicated communication platform, many operators still rely on paper noticeboards, depot briefings, or informal messaging apps that lead to unmonitored conversations, unverifiable safety updates, and corporate data sitting outside company control. 

Communication sits at the heart of each of these challenges. The question is whether operators have the right communication tools to effectively address each one.

Closing the frontline communication gap

Many operators already have systems for payroll, rostering, and compliance. What’s often missing is a reliable way to reach the frontline in real time, with confidence that critical messages have actually landed.

In an environment where services change by the minute, from route diversions and special events to breakdowns and severe weather, that gap carries real risk. Right now, most operators have no reliable way to know whether a message was seen, understood, or acted on. 

Blink closes that gap. Operators are using it today to streamline communications across operations, safety, and corporate updates, replacing paper noticeboards and depot-only briefings with a platform that validates messages have been received and actions completed. Native live streaming takes this further, giving operators a way to bring multiple depots together in real time for safety briefings, operational updates and company-wide announcements.

It’s also accelerating staff onboarding, keeping the whole workforce aligned on network and fleet changes, and consolidating near-miss and safety reporting in one place.

For operators running complex depots and rosters, Blink also integrates directly with rostering and workforce platforms like Trapeze, Workday, and ServiceNow, ensuring updates reach the right people automatically.

Up and running in weeks

Blink doesn’t require a large-scale rollout to deliver value.

Large multi-state operators use Blink alongside established HR, operations and payroll platforms. But many small and mid-sized bus and coach businesses adopt it precisely because it delivers immediate value without needing centralised enterprise systems already in place.

Out of the box, operators can:

• Digitise paper-based processes such as pre-departure checks, incident reports and leave requests
• Issue polls and surveys to capture workforce sentiment, training compliance and safety confirmations
• Deliver targeted communications through feed posts and short video updates, covering everything from onboarding journeys and road closures to service disruptions and company-wide announcements
• Deploy simple self-service tools (custom micro-apps) for things like roster visibility, digital payslips, HR and payroll queries, uniform orders and shift swaps, particularly where access to existing systems is limited
• Recognise and reward frontline employees in the moment, whether that’s acknowledging safe driving, years of service, or going above and beyond, keeping morale high and making people feel seen, no matter where they’re located

Nobody has time for a drawn-out rollout. Blink is designed so operators can be up and running in weeks, not months.

Ready to test this in your depot?

Every depot has its own rhythms, constraints and safety requirements. The most practical way to evaluate frontline communication is to test it locally, under real operating conditions.

To help Bus Industry Confederation members assess this in practice, Blink is offering a no-obligation trial for a single depot or region, so you can validate whether clearer updates, better reach and confirmed acknowledgements translate into smoother day-to-day running before committing to a wider rollout.

• Get started: Start for free and get your first operational group live
• Onboarding support: Book a short call with our ANZ team to align setup with your business priorities
• Member benefit: BIC members can access an exclusive introductory discount

Vehicles and infrastructure will keep evolving. But the operators who pull ahead will be the ones who’ve worked out how to keep their people informed and ready.

That starts with how you communicate.

What is internal communication?

Internal communications is the practice of keeping all employees, at every level of an organization, connected and in the loop. The primary goal of an internal communications strategy is to ensure that all members of an organization are well-informed and able to collaborate effectively. 

Clear and streamlined communications are an essential factor in the success of any company, whether it has ten employees or one thousand. Over 40% of workers say that their trust in their leadership and team has been compromised due to poor communication. 

From frontline workers to admins behind a desk, when each individual has a clear understanding of business goals, values, and guidelines, it makes for a much more connected workflow.

Read on to understand everything you need to know about internal communications, the types of internal communication, and the benefits that come from implementing a solid internal communications strategy.

Understanding internal communications

Internal communications can take a variety of forms – email, intranet, chat apps, newsletters, in-person meetings, bulletin boards, or an app specifically designed to streamline internal communications.

An effective internal communications strategy helps every employee feel connected to the larger company vision, and therefore aware of how their individual roles contribute to the overall success of the organization. A JobsinME poll found that a massive 85% of workers feel more connected to their jobs when there is effective communication in the workplace.

A solid internal communications strategy goes a long way in fostering that engagement – employees feel involved in the company mission and understand the role they play. 

Regular communication also helps build trust between employees and leadership, strengthening that sense of belonging. Plus, those open channels of communication allow employees to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback, making them feel valued and empowered.

In frontline organizations, an effective internal communications strategy is even more critical. Deskless employees can be harder to reach through email or memos, as they’re not constantly checking email or messages (or may not even have access to these tools). But these frontline workers are even more in need of clear communications, to mitigate misunderstandings, enhance safety and compliance, and share urgent updates.

An internal communications app, like Blink, is ideal for organizations with frontline workers,  connecting everybody and placing everything they need in one place.

Types of internal communication

1. Formal top-down communication

This type of internal communication flows from higher levels of management to lower levels. It starts with the C-suite, who makes all the calls, then disseminates their instructions, policies, and decisions to the organization’s employees through managers and leaders. 

Within an internal communications strategy, top-down communications are a structured approach that ensures important directives and guidelines are communicated uniformly. Top-down comms not only maintain consistency but also help in disseminating organizational objectives effectively throughout the workforce. 

Formal top-down employee communication methods include company-wide emails, official announcements, regular town hall meetings, or memos from upper management.

For example, in a hospital's internal communications strategy, this could look like an all-staff email sharing new patient care protocols. In a manufacturing plant, a bulletin board could display dates for upcoming safety training sessions. Or in retail, a company-wide text message can share information about a new product that management wants workers to upsell.

Pros

• It is an efficient way to communicate broad messages.
• Messages are controlled and aligned with organizational goals, reducing misunderstandings.
• Conveys a sense of professionalism in conveying critical information.

Cons

• It doesn’t consider how employees can share feedback.
• The passive reception of information may lead to disengagement.
• Information flow can be slow, causing delays in decision-making and implementation.
• It’s impersonalized, which can give employees a sense of being undervalued.

2. Formal bottom-up communication

This is the process where employees at lower levels of the hierarchy communicate their feedback, suggestions, concerns, and ideas to higher levels of management or leadership. 

This type of communication involves conveying information from the "bottom" of the organizational structure upward, allowing employees to have a voice, contribute their insights, and influence decision-making processes.

Three-quarters of employees are more engaged and feel more effective when they feel their voice is heard, Workforce Institute found.

When included as a part of an internal communications strategy, formal bottom-up employee communication not only empowers workers but also fosters a culture of inclusion and innovation within an organization. It's a valuable channel for capturing on-the-ground insights, which can often be missed by higher management. Less than half of employees feel as though they have an easy way to share feedback on key communications; a solid bottom-up communication strategy is one way to mitigate this.

In a frontline organization, there are many ways to implement formal bottom-up communications. Employee surveys are a popular way to gather feedback from an entire team at once, and Blink’s in-app survey tool allows HR teams to get real-time data straight from the mouths of employees.

For example, in a healthcare setting, nurses and medical staff might use formal bottom-up communication to suggest improvements in patient care protocols or to report safety concerns. 

Other formats for bottom-up communications include anonymous feedback forms and regular one-on-one meetings between employees and their managers. 

By actively encouraging and acting upon this type of feedback, organizations can harness the collective intelligence of their workforce and adapt to the evolving needs of the industry.

Pros

• Employees feel heard and valued, leading to higher employee engagement.
• A range of diverse perspectives can be gathered, leading to more well-rounded and innovative solutions.
• Frontline employees can identify challenges that might not be apparent to higher-level management.
• When employees are involved in change processes, they are more likely to support and adapt to new initiatives.

Cons

• Gathering, reviewing, and responding to a large volume of employee feedback can be time-consuming.
• It can be resource-intensive, requiring specific software.
• Not all employee suggestions may align with organizational goals or be feasible to implement.
• Formal bottom-up communication may result in inconsistent messaging across teams.

3. Formal horizontal communication  

This is the sharing of communications between individuals or departments at the same hierarchical level within the organization, for example, cross-functional meetings or interdepartmental emails.

Unlike the vertical communication we discussed above, which involves information flowing up or down within an organization, formal horizontal communication is between colleagues who hold similar positions within the organization. 

Leadership consultancy Fierce, Inc. found that 86% of employees feel that a lack of proper collaboration and miscommunication between teams lead to workplace failures.

Formal horizontal communication helps facilitate the smooth functioning of departments, coordination, collaboration, and information sharing. For instance, in a retail setting, it's crucial for the sales team to communicate effectively with inventory management to ensure products are stocked efficiently.

In frontline organizations, formal horizontal employee communication connects the various cogs that make up the company and keeps it functioning. Within the structured internal communications strategy, it can take many forms, including project reports, regular email updates between departments, and the establishment of specific cross-functional teams.

When done right, formal horizontal communication enables seamless collaboration and makes the company culture one of teamwork and shared goals

The key here is constant communication. Using an internal app with a chat function - whether it’s private messaging or a group chat - will promote regular collaboration. Blink’s chat feature enables seamless conversation, to encourage employees to work together and share ideas.

Pros

• Promotes knowledge sharing between peers with different expertise.
• Allows teams to align their efforts and activities with each other, avoiding overlap or conflict.
• Improves communication within the organization, leading to better company culture.
• Allows colleagues to provide feedback on each other's work, which they’re often more receptive to than feedback from above.

Cons

• A reliance on formal channels may discourage spontaneous creative interactions between colleagues.
• Communication may become siloed within specific departments.
• Can sometimes be time-consuming, especially when multiple people need to be involved.
• May not adapt well to rapidly changing circumstances or unexpected needs.

4. Informal communication

Unlike other aspects of an organization’s internal communications strategy, informal communication isn’t facilitated or regulated by the organization’s internal communication channels. It happens spontaneously between colleagues – water cooler chat, if you will.

This style of communication often occurs in casual settings or through personal relationships and can take place at various levels of the organization, including between employees and managers, and even across different departments.

Informal comms include face-to-face conversations, social media interactions, instant messaging, and phone calls. It serves as a complement to formal communication channels and plays a significant role in building relationships and shaping the company culture. 

We can look at Bank of America as a case study. Breaks for customer service employees used to be staggered so as not to have a shortage of staff fielding customer complaints. However, an internal audit found that productivity increased when workers took breaks together and socialized over lunch.

Oftentimes, frontline employees are working in silos and isolated from their coworkers. In frontline organizations, informal communications go beyond just sharing practical insights, it also gives these frontline workers a sense of camaraderie and belonging. In high-stress environments like hospitals or retail, where teams need to work seamlessly to serve customers and patients, these informal connections are invaluable.

Furthermore, workers can share valuable information that they learn on the job, which might not necessarily warrant discussion in formal channels. For example, tips for handling certain customers, which patient rooms have better heating, or even finding help to cover a shift.

The informal nature of these interactions fosters a culture of approachability, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and united frontline workforce.

The main Feed in Blink is designed specifically to foster this informal communication that keeps an organization running. It brings the whole company together in one place, without the formality of a memo or email chain. The Feed looks and feels like the social media apps we’re already accustomed to, making it easy for everyone to use. 

Pros

• Quick and easy, especially in fast-paced environments.
• Helps to build personal relationships and a sense of camaraderie among employees.
• Allows frontline workers a way to connect and engage with their coworkers, especially those who don’t have these opportunities come naturally.
• Practical knowledge, tips, and best practices are shared more easily through informal conversations.

Cons

• Frontline workers are limited in their opportunities for spontaneous chat, requiring the need for a centralized informal communications platform.
• It can lead to the spread of inaccurate information or rumors if not properly managed.
• Individuals who are not part of specific conversations or social circles may be inadvertently excluded.
• Important issues might not receive the attention they deserve when discussed informally.

Why is internal communications important for your business?

For a truly effective internal communications strategy, a workforce should be three things: connected, engaged, and aligned.

A connected workforce

The right internal communications strategy bridges the gap between remote, frontline, and office employees. Without a wide-reaching net, internal communications can become stilted or even ineffective. 

READ MORE: 5 communication strategies for better employee engagement

Frontline employees are consistently at a disadvantage due to the fact they most times do not have a company email or a desktop, like the organization’s office workers. 

More than 80% of the global workforce is deskless. Whether your company is in healthcare, manufacturing, or transportation, these frontline workers need to feel just as involved and valued as the ones behind a desk.

For these organizations, effective internal communications reduce turnover, increase profits, enhance employee experience, and boost productivity. Read more about deskless worker team communication here. 

An engaged workforce

Transparent communication empowers employees and boosts morale. 

When employees are informed about the company's vision and the reasons behind certain actions, they feel a sense of ownership and inclusion.  Transparency fosters trust, as employees perceive that their contributions and concerns are valued, leading to increased engagement and overall satisfaction.

Two-way internal communication is essential for employee engagement – as we covered above, top-down communication can lead to passive reception of information, which is a killer for engagement.

An effective internal communications strategy gives employees the ability to voice concerns and provide feedback or suggestions to management. This gives them a direct hand in decision-making, directly increasing their engagement with their work. 

An aligned workforce

Aligning teams and goals across the entire organization, from the CEO to frontline workers, is crucial for success.  

This involves ensuring everyone is across the broad business goals and objectives and understands how their individual work is crucial for reaching these goals. A study conducted by IBM found that 72% of employees don’t understand their organization’s core strategy, due to poor communication. 

Don’t let that 72% be your employees. An aligned workforce ensures that the messages being communicated resonate with everyone, and are understood in the intended manner.

Effective internal communications leads to better collaboration, within teams and across departments. 

Strategies to implement successful internal communications

Only 7% of workers agree that internal communication within their workplace is accurate, timely, and open.

Building a cohesive internal communications strategy is the key to uniting and motivating your workforce. We’ll touch on some strategies to help you create a successful internal communication plan, or you can read our in-depth step-by-step guide to writing an internal communications strategy.

Utilize technology for internal communication

These days, there are endless tools and software available to help organizations stay on top of internal communications. We’re no longer in the age where we have to rely on printed memos and morning meetings. 

Blink, and other digital communication tools which promote collaboration and information sharing, can totally revolutionize an organization. They provide efficient, real-time means to disseminate information, engage employees, and foster collaboration. 

Not only can these platforms allow employees to ask questions, provide feedback, and participate in discussions, but they also act as a centralized place for policies, procedures, and guides that employees can access.

A recent Emergence study found that more than half of deskless workers are dissatisfied with the software solutions provided by employers. 

Particularly for decentralized teams and organizations with frontline workers, technology-driven internal communication plays a pivotal role in keeping employees informed, connected, and aligned with organizational goals.

Understand how to best reach your employees

Obviously, organizations are made up of different types of employees, and traditional top-down internal communication strategies generally don’t take this into account. In order to make sure your message is relevant to your audience, you need to tailor your message based on who you are communicating with. 

For example, a message intended for frontline staff may focus on practical details and how it impacts their daily tasks, while a message for senior management might emphasize strategic implications and long-term business goals.

Consider the different workers that need to be reached with your internal communications strategy, and segment your audiences based on:

• Job role
• Seniority level
• Communication needs
• Whether they are desk-based or frontline workers

Then, you can analyze previous engagement data to see what type or format of content works best for each audience – eg. Email, live chat, video, etc., and the best times to communicate for the most engagement.

Utilizing technology can be very helpful here. Blink offers real-time powerful analytics to help you understand what content performs best, when, and with whom.

By customizing the messaging approach, and using data to optimize what the content is and when you are sending it, internal communication becomes more effective, increasing employee engagement and alignment with goals.

Establish regular feedback

Without regular feedback, internal communications are simply one-sided, which does nothing for employee engagement and satisfaction.

Every successful internal communications strategy should have built-in practices to regularly collect feedback from employees at every level of the organization. This can be done through surveys, suggestion boxes, town halls, anonymous feedback, or weekly leadership check-ins.

Employee feedback allows an internal communications strategy to be actually shaped by the people it’ll affect, not just the high-up decision-makers behind desks. Highlighting areas where improvement is needed – before it escalates into a problem – is crucial, not just for the employee experience but also for the success of the business as a whole.

Case study: Our collaboration with Salutem

During the COVID pandemic, the health industry faced endless challenges. Employees and organizations were dramatically affected by high levels of stress, low staff morale, and a huge hit to communications. 

Salutem, a healthcare company that provides services such as care homes and healthcare staffing, needed a solution to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic. To do so, Salutem used Blink to revamp their internal communications strategy.

With Blink’s easy-to-use super-app, Salutem was able to launch monthly surveys, collect feedback and plan face-to-face group meetings to encourage two-way conversations between managers and staff.

Salutem launched S.E.L.F (Salutem Employee Listening Forum) initiatives to connect staff and promote a culture of free communication within the organization. Each division had a rep – nominated by managers through the Blink Feed – who were responsible for moderating Blink Channels and following up with their respective teams.

Colleagues were encouraged to share thoughts and open up conversations around concerns or opportunities for growth, which started conversations and reconnected employees across all teams.

The improvements that came from the new internal communications strategy were nearly immediate. The organization saw a:

• 300% increase in survey responses
• 92% adoption rate of Blink 
• Tenfold increase in staff who were easy to communicate with

The integral role of internal comms in organizational success

There aren’t many constants in this world, particularly in the ever-changing landscape of a frontline organization. But one does remain: the vital role of an internal communications strategy. From formal top-down messages that steer the company's vision to informal water cooler chats that breed friendships, effective internal communication is crucial for the success of any organization.

By implementing a solid internal communications strategy, organizations can create a workplace where ideas flow freely, where feedback is valued, and where employees are informed, engaged, and motivated. It's a workplace where everyone, from frontline staff to top executives, feels heard, appreciated, and connected.

Internal communications shouldn’t just be a strategy, however. It needs to be a core tenet of your organization’s culture. Introducing an effective tool – like Blink – to encourage effective internal communication is key. By fostering open dialogue, valuing feedback, and leveraging technology, organizations can create an environment where everyone feels heard, informed, and engaged. 

It's not about reinventing the wheel, but about adopting effective internal communications strategies that keep your workforce connected and motivated. 

Want a preview of what Blink can do? Watch this 2-minute video to see it come to life.

While staying in a hotel in Belgium, I ate half a cookie with my breakfast and left for a couple of hours to explore the city on foot. It was a large cookie, so I left it in my room thinking that I’d finish it when I get back.

But when I returned, it was gone. I called the front desk and they said housekeeping threw it away because they thought serving me a fresh one would be better. I contacted the kitchen, and found that they were already informed to deliver the cookie as soon as I called.

Do you see the quality of service and convenience I experienced because the front desk, housekeeping, and kitchen staff worked together and kept each other in the loop? And do you think I’d want to stay in that hotel again? Absolutely!

That’s the potential of good teamwork and collaboration. Working as a team, your employees can merge their unique talents and give your company a real competitive advantage. On top of that, cultivating teamwork skills helps you create a happy working environment for yourself and your workers.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what it means to work as a team, the importance of teamwork skills, and the top skills your team should have for effective collaboration.

What are teamwork skills?

Teamwork skills are the traits and abilities that allow you and your employees to work well with one another on a project or task.

If you’ve played a sport in school or joined a club at work, you may already be familiar with what it means to work as a team.

Most educational institutions try to incorporate these skills in students early on, since they lay the groundwork for all your future endeavors, whether professional or personal.

So “teamwork skills” is more like a blanket term encompassing qualities such as proper communication, active listening, and conflict management.

Why work as a team?

Teamwork isn’t just a fancy term to put on your website and posters in the office. It’s an integral part of your culture and business operations. Plus, it has a direct impact on your revenue.

As per a survey by EIU, when workers are not working as a team, the impact on overall revenue is serious. Over 33% of sales lost as a result were valued between $100,000 and $999,999.

No matter your industry or job role, the ability to work alongside others is crucial for you and your workers to contribute positively to the company.

Communication and collaboration among a team are the attributes that unite a group of diverse individuals towards common business objectives. And they make it more likely for organizations to achieve them.

Teamwork skills you need to work as a team

Your ability to work as a team depends on how well you instill and demonstrate the teamwork skills mentioned below. But if a skill doesn’t come naturally to you, worry not. All of these can be improved with the right teamwork development strategies.

Communication

Clear, steady, and efficient communication is critical to consistent teamwork. When team members inform, educate, and inspire one another, amazing things happen; barriers are broken down, knowledge is shared, and productivity skyrockets. Team management tools can be used to maximize productivity while building a strong and trustworthy remote team. 

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: checking in with team members, asking clarifying questions, articulating your ideas, and sharing information in a timely manner.

Project management

Contrary to what you may think, project management skills are not just crucial for managers and coordinators, but they also benefit other team members.

Knowing the basics of project management, team members can understand and align better with the plans and processes set forth by the leader. Plus, project management best practices help employees feel more assured about the timeline and completion of the projects.

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: setting realistic goals, assigning roles and responsibilities, managing project budget, defining tasks, and prioritizing them based on their urgency and importance.

Delegation

Every team member has different strengths and capacity to accommodate the tasks associated with a project. They need to know exactly what their job is, and have a reasonable amount of work on their plate. 

So to function effectively, teams need leaders who know how to delegate. You should have the ability to clearly assign tasks to the people who can handle them. Plus, you’ll need to set deadlines that are challenging yet achievable. 

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: creating guidelines, setting expectations, showing what a successful outcome looks like with example, and scheduling.

Conflict resolution

Conflict is part and parcel of any collaborative project. Sooner or later, it’s bound to happen in your team, whether in the form of a small disagreement or a large debate.

But how you handle such a situation speaks volumes about your aptitude to work as a team. Strong team players keep their cool and look at any conflict as an opportunity for clarification, learning, and growth.

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: being open to ideas different than yours, being fair and respectful, listening with the intent to understand, and backing up your ideas with examples and unbiased data.

Active listening

Listening seems like a simple and passive activity, but it isn’t always as easy for some people as speaking and expressing their own ideas. 

Real, active listening is much more than just sitting back and letting others talk. It takes effort and focus. It involves giving your 100% attention to the speaker and listening not just for the words, but also the intent and emotions behind them. 

Most people don’t really listen. Even when they do, they listen to prepare an instant response in their mind. But good listeners listen to understand first. And then they ask clarifying questions to validate what they understood. This whole process takes the trust and satisfaction of the whole team to another level. 

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: Giving undivided attention to the person speaking, considering non-verbal cues, making eye contact, and not making unfounded assumptions.  

Rapport building

Rapport is the informal connection you have with your team members that makes it easy and comfortable to carry out the formal responsibilities.

Being able to bond and engage in enthusiastic conversations is important for you and your team to realize their full potential. It leads to better communication, planning, and an overall more pleasant working environment. 

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: showing an interest in your team beyond what they do at work, finding common interests, empathizing with their needs and frustrations, and offering help and support.

Public speaking

How can we talk about working as a team and not talk about public speaking and presentation skills? You’ll frequently need to address your whole team to explain a process or persuade them to adopt a new approach.

It’s often scary for people to present because they expect everything to be smooth and perfect. And they want to look like a fancy orator. But a good presentation is more like a normal, friendly conversation focused on clearly communicating your points. As long as you do that much, your job is done.

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: working with MS Powerpoint or other presentation software, designing visual slides, understanding your audience, and telling stories that hook. 

Steps to improve how you work as a team

Teamwork skills are mostly soft skills. So improving them is a little more complicated than hard skills, since hard skills usually have a straightforward rulebook. Still, there are steps you can take to boost your teamwork skills significantly.

Learn from strong team players

Whether inside or outside your immediate team, you will always find people who work really well as part of teams. And you can learn a lot by observing them and their ability to collaborate.

See the behaviors and words of people who excel at teamwork and take notes about things that stand out to you. Whenever you see an example of great collaboration, jot it down and try to incorporate the lessons in your own words and actions.

Set specific goals

To truly grow yourself as a team player, you must identify specific areas for improvement and set concrete objectives. Plus, it’ll really help if you put time constraints on your goals. 

For example, saying something like, “I’ll start communicating and showing an interest in my team members’.” is not a specific goal. A better alternative is, “I’ll ask each team member if they need any help at least once every week.”

Practice teamwork

Honing your ability to work as a team takes patience and consistent practice. Once you set goals, try to find every opportunity you can to practice the skills you want to improve. 

For example, you can start volunteering to your team with small tasks, or be the first one to raise your hand when there’s a chance to work with someone new.

The more you work with a diverse set of professionals, the better you’ll get at collaboration.

Get regular feedback

We often tend to miss the little things that we need to improve the most, while berating ourselves on stuff that no one would notice. When speaking in front of a group, for example, you may be worried that you look nervous. But mostly it’s just in your mind. 

The point is, it can be hard to determine what you need to improve on your own. So the best way to get around your blind spots is to ask coworkers for feedback.

Get your mentor, supervisor, or a trusted peer within your team to evaluate your ability to work as a team member. By sharing their honest and unbiased opinion of your strengths and weaknesses, they can help you work on things that really matter. So you’ll know where to channel your time and energy.

Wrapping up: improve the skills you need to work as a team

Great teamwork does not happen by chance. Working as a team requires a lot of work from managers as well as team members.

You need open communication, clear delegation, team building, and other important skills and best practices we’ve shared above. All of them will give you a good starting point to get accustomed to the basics.

Plus, improving your teamwork skills is a journey that never ends. There will always be new things to help your team learn and get inspired. So keep researching and learning from the best businesses out there.

With adequate time and practice, you will eventually build a collaborative workplace that’ll keep you ahead of the curve for years to come. And while you’re at it, also consider using a tool that streamlines ongoing communication and collaboration at your company, such as Blink. Book a free Blink demo today.

Ren has been making her mark at Blink for over a year, helping to power our Revenue Operations function with a sharp analytical eye and a strong command of tools like SQL and Python. Based in our London office, she’s been a driving force behind smarter systems, cleaner data, and smoother cross-team collaboration.

We caught up with Ren to hear more about what drew her to Blink, the projects she’s proud of, and how being part of a fast-moving, mission-driven team keeps her inspired every day.

Which Blink office do you work out of?

‍I'm based in the London office.

What is your position at Blink?

‍I work as a Revenue Operations Analyst.

How long have you been at Blink?

I’ve been at Blink for just over a year now!

What initially attracted you to join Blink?

Honestly, it was the product that really stood out to me. I really connected with Blink’s mission of helping frontline employees stay connected. I had previously spent some time working in education as a teacher, so I saw first-hand how valuable something like Blink could be. I remember thinking, “If I had this as a teacher, I would’ve loved it.” That real-world application really sold it for me.

What confirmed I’d made the right choice was during the interview process. I got to meet my future team and was thrown straight into a collaborative SQL task. That experience represented the collaborative nature of the environment at Blink and it immediately felt like a team I wanted to be part of.

What's a project you are proud of from your time at Blink?

Rather than one specific project, I’d say I’m proud of how much I’ve grown my technical skills. I’ve had the chance to work on projects that pushed me to master tools like SQL and Python. It’s been amazing to not only learn those languages but to use them daily and feel confident doing so.

One of the biggest challenges early on was finding the time and headspace to fully focus on that kind of technical development. But as a team, we tackled that by introducing dedicated Hackathon days, which gave us uninterrupted time to solve complex problems and upskill together.

The impact of this has been really rewarding. A lot of the work I’ve done in Rev Ops has helped bring critical data into the hands of our go-to-market teams, enabling them to better connect with customers and prospects. Most recently, I’ve been using SQL and Python to help build out parts of our very own internal “Blink ChatGPT” tool!

How would you describe the company culture at Blink in three words?

I would describe the Blink culture as fun, motivating, and challenging.

Fun because the social side of Blink is genuinely brilliant. We’ve had some amazing team events — from the Crystal Maze experience to crazy boules, an F1 simulator, and even a speedboat ride along the Thames. These moments really help bring people together and build strong bonds across teams.

Motivating because you’re constantly surrounded by incredibly smart, driven people who are all deeply invested in the success of the company. Being around colleagues who genuinely care pushes you to bring your best every day.

Challenging because the pace is fast, and the problems we’re solving are complex. Those challenges have also been the most rewarding and have accelerated my growth more than I expected.

What's one thing you're excited about for the future of Blink?

I’m really excited to keep seeing us sign big, well-known customers. Every time we bring a large name on board, it’s a huge morale boost across the company. It really shows how strong our product is. A standout for me was when we signed McDonald’s — such an iconic brand choosing us felt like a major moment. I’d like to see us continue to expand into the retail market. Another big fashion brand would be really exciting. It’s a sector where our impact could be huge, and there is a lot of potential there.

Can you tell us about a recent initiative or program launched at Blink that you found particularly exciting?

The first thing that comes to mind is all of the work that has gone into the upcoming summer party. I think it’s going to be an amazing event — not just for us internally, but for our customers too. It’s a brilliant opportunity to bring everyone together, share best practices, and show off what makes Blink such a great platform. Events like this really spotlight our culture and our community.

Since joining Blink, I’ve also had the chance to be part of three customer launches. It’s been incredibly rewarding to meet users in person and see the real impact our platform has on their day-to-day work. This definitely motivates me in the work that I do at Blink.

Why do you work for Blink?

I work for Blink because, as I’ve said before, I believe in the product. I think it’s an incredibly impactful software that helps a huge number of people. Another thing I appreciate is the variety in my role — it keeps the work dynamic and engaging. I get to work across lots of different teams at Blink, from operations to technical projects. That mix keeps things exciting. Plus, the atmosphere here is genuinely great. If I had to pick a favorite team to collaborate with, I’d say the sales team. They’re always full of energy, very motivated and really fun to work with. I’m grateful that I get the opportunity to collaborate with them.

Operational communications don’t usually get the spotlight. They’re not flashy. They don’t come with glossy videos or inspirational quotes from leadership.

But they do keep the business running.

Shift changes. Schedule updates. Safety alerts. Policy changes. System outages. Last-minute coverage requests. The messages that tell people what to do, when to do it, and what happens if they don’t.

Every organization relies on operational comms — whether they’ve designed them intentionally or not. And that’s the problem.

Because in far too many workplaces, especially frontline ones, operational communications are scattered, inconsistent, and treated like an afterthought. And when operational comms fail, work fails with them.

Operational comms already exist. They’re just a mess.

Let’s start with the uncomfortable truth: You don’t have no operational communications. You have too many — spread across too many places.

A WhatsApp group for one team. A text from a manager’s personal phone. An email someone might see three days later. A notice on a bulletin board nobody walks past anymore. An intranet update that assumes everyone sits at a desk.

None of this is malicious. It’s improvisation.

When internal communications aren’t built for how work actually happens, people do what they can to fill the gaps. Over time, that creates a patchwork of communication channels, habits, and workarounds that are impossible to manage — and even harder to rely on.

The result?

Missed company updates. Conflicting information. Managers acting as human routers. Employees unsure which message “counts.”

Operational comms don’t break because people don’t care. They break because the system was never designed to support them.

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What operational comms really are (and what they’re not)

Operational communications aren’t about company culture-building or storytelling. They’re not meant to inspire. They’re meant to execute.

And for many internal communications leaders, operational comms are where strategy meets reality.

At their core, operational comms answer five simple questions:

• What changed?
• What do I need to do?
• When?
• Where?
• What happens if I don’t?

If someone misses a leadership update, it’s unfortunate. If someone misses an operational update, it’s disruptive — or dangerous.

That’s the key difference.

Yet too often, operational communications are lumped in with a broader internal communication strategy that prioritizes tone, cadence, and employee engagement metrics — without enough attention to clarity, speed, and reliability.

This isn’t about “nice-to-have” content. This is about the messages that make or break a shift, a service, or a customer or employee experience.

Why operational comms fail first on the frontline

Frontline environments put operational communications under the most pressure — and expose their weaknesses the fastest.

Frontline work is:

• Shift-based
• Time-sensitive
• Location-dependent
• Often safety-critical

And yet, operational comms for frontline workers are still commonly delivered through digital tools designed for desk-based work.

Email assumes regular access and time to read. Intranet platforms assume a login, a browser, and spare minutes. Manager cascades assume perfect recall and flawless consistency.

That assumption gap is where things fall apart.

When someone is on a shop floor, behind a counter, on a bus route, or moving between patients, they don’t have time to hunt for information. If operational comms aren’t immediate, accessible, and impossible to miss, they may as well not exist.

This is why frontline teams are often the first to experience:

• Confusion around changes
• Inconsistent execution across locations
• Frustration with “yet another update”
• Workarounds that introduce risk

Desk-based internal communications strategies simply don’t survive contact with frontline reality.

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Systems are optimized — communication isn’t

Here’s the irony: Organizations have invested heavily in operational systems.

HR platforms. Scheduling tools. Workforce management software. IT service management systems.

These tools are powerful. They automate processes, standardize workflows, and generate insights. But too often, they stop short of the people who actually need to act on them.

Instead, communication becomes the weak link — handled manually, inconsistently, or as an afterthought.

A system updates, but no one sees it. A policy changes, but not everyone gets the message. A process improves, but adoption lags.

This disconnect creates delays, rework, and unnecessary strain on managers. And it puts internal communications teams in a tough spot — expected to “fix” operational problems with tools that were never designed for the job.

Operational excellence can’t exist without operational communication to match it.

Reframing operational comms as infrastructure

The biggest shift organizations need to make is this:

Operational communications aren’t a channel. They’re infrastructure.

Just like roads or power lines, they should be:

• Always on
• Reliable
• Embedded into daily work
• Designed for clarity and speed

If operational comms only work when someone remembers to check the right place, at the right time, they’re already optional. And optional doesn’t cut it when work depends on it.

This is where internal communications strategy needs to evolve — from publishing updates to enabling action.

That means designing corporate communications for formal channels that meet people where they work, not just where leadership prefers to post.

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Where a mobile-first internal comms platform changes the game

If operational communications are infrastructure, then they need a delivery system built for how work actually happens — not how we wish it happened.

That’s where a mobile-first internal communications platform makes the difference.

Frontline teams don’t work at desks. They work on the move, across shifts, locations, and roles. They need operational updates to reach them in real time, in a format that’s fast, familiar, and impossible to ignore.

A modern internal comms platform creates a single, reliable place for operational communication — without asking employees to jump between digital communication tools or remember where the latest update lives.

And critically, it allows organizations to move beyond “send and hope” communication.

From posting updates to driving action

Operational comms aren’t successful because they’re published. They’re successful because they’re seen, understood, and acted on.

Mobile-first, social media-inspired platforms are designed for this reality:

• Short, visual updates that mirror the consumer apps employees already use
• Time-sensitive messages that surface at the right moment
• Clear signals when something requires attention — and when it doesn’t

Features like Stories help operational updates cut through the noise without adding more of it. They make change management feel timely and relevant, rather than buried in a company news feed or lost in an inbox.

When critical messages actually need to be seen

Not every message is optional.

Policy changes. Safety updates. Compliance notices. Operational shifts that impact how work gets done today.

Mandatory reads ensure those messages are acknowledged — not just sent. That creates confidence for business leaders, clarity for employees, and far less reliance on manual follow-ups or manager guesswork.

In operational communications, visibility isn’t enough. Confirmation matters.

The right message, to the right people, at the right time

One of the biggest reasons operational comms break down is over-broadcasting.

When everyone gets everything:

• Important updates blend into background noise
• Relevance drops
• Attention disappears

Segmented internal communications — by role, location, department, or shift — allow operational messages to be targeted to the people they actually affect.

That means fewer distractions, clearer expectations, and more consistent execution across teams. It also means frontline employees aren’t asked to mentally filter information that was never meant for them in the first place.

Built for frontline reality, not desk-based assumptions

A mobile-first internal comms platform meets employees where they are:

• On their phones
• Between tasks
• On different schedules
• Across multiple locations

Operational communications become something employees can access in seconds — not something they have to hunt for when they finally sit down.

And when comms are embedded into the rhythm of work, rather than bolted on top of it, they stop feeling like “another update” and start feeling like part of how work flows.

The experience layer operational systems need

Operational systems will always matter. But systems alone don’t communicate — people do.

A mobile-first internal communications platform acts as the experience layer between operational systems and the workforce. It surfaces the information that matters, in a way people can actually engage with and act on.

Not as another tool to manage. Not as a replacement for core systems.

But as the connective tissue that turns operational intent into operational reality.

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The question every organization needs to ask

Operational communications don’t usually get the credit when things go right. But when they go wrong, the impact is immediate.

So here’s the question worth sitting with:

If a frontline employee misses an operational update, is that an engagement issue — or an operational risk?

Once you see operational comms for what they really are, it becomes clear they deserve more than improvised fixes and scattered internal channels. They deserve to be designed with the same care as the systems they support.

Because when operational communications work, everything else works better too.

A paltry 36% of US employees are engaged in their work, as per data from Gallup. On top of that, 11.5 million workers left their jobs in the time period between April and June of 2021.  

It’s no secret that engaged employees are less likely to skip work and are much more productive. They are also more likely to stay with their organization. 

So with roughly 2% of the entire US workforce quitting on a monthly basis, you can’t afford to ignore the employee engagement challenges in your company. Identifying employee engagement barriers in the workplace and addressing them should be your top priority. 

But what should you look for? What might be the issues in your organization hurting employee experience and retention?

This post will help you understand what those barriers are, and what you can do about them.

Let’s begin.

Employee engagement challenges that can make or break your business

A study shows that a highly engaged workforce can reduce a company’s turnover rate by 25 to 59%. And it all starts with identifying the barriers to high employee engagement. These are:

1. Excessive red tape

How many procedures and rules should an employee follow to get basic tasks done in your workplace? If there are too many, it will negatively impact employee engagement. 

According to the Employee Outlook Survey from the CIPD, unnecessary rules and procedures are the biggest hurdles to employee productivity. 

Your work environment is supposed to provide a smooth work experience where employees can get things done easily with minimum stress. This will require simplifying your work processes wherever possible.

How to overcome this employee engagement barrier?

• See which admin tasks are taking the most time for both the admins and workers. Then reduce the number of sign-offs required to approve these tasks.

• Implement a tool that can automate common workflows. With Blink’s micro apps, for instance, admins can create and share digital forms, collect data, and automate key workflows. 

2. Line managers and supervisors with poor communication skills

If there’s anyone in the ​​position to bring the skills and focus of team members into alignment with the goals of the organization, it’s the middle manager. 

In factories and other similar establishments, for example, line managers form a pivotal link between frontline staff and senior leaders. Yet they are often ill-equipped to engage their teams. 

The Management Empowerment Report reveals that just one-third of front-line managers received specific training to support employees. Most have been chosen for the role because they were good workers, not because they were good managers. 

Inspiration and transparency in communication are critical improvements a leader can make towards solving employee engagement challenges. 

How to overcome this employee engagement barrier?

• Open channels of two-way communication among the line managers and their teams. 

• Provide managers with resources and tools to collect staff input with methods such as internal surveys and quizzes.    

• Support with adequate employee engagement training for managers on how to engage and communicate with their teams. 

3. Lack of one-on-one time

Only 21% of millennials and 18% of non-millennials meet with managers on a weekly basis. Most say they meet less than once a month. 

One-on-ones are essential for managers to get to know employees on a personal level and discuss their needs, concerns, and growth opportunities. They could be considered a key driver of employee engagement.

Not just that.

Without frequent one-on-one meetings, a manager’s ability to communicate effectively with employees about projects and performance is limited. And what suffers as a result? Employee engagement.  

So, to avoid barriers to good employee relations, you must make sure that the managers in your company meet regularly with the staff. 

How to overcome this employee engagement barrier?

• Direct managers to schedule regular one-to-one meetings with their team members. And make it a key performance indicator that determines their progress in the managerial role.  

• Train managers to create an agenda in advance and approach these meetings as a consultant, not an authoritarian. Instead of just discussing technical details of the job, managers should help workers prioritize tasks and understand the big picture. 

4. Shortage of growth opportunities

A study by BlessingWhite found a lack of growth opportunities to be the most common reason employees leave their jobs. If you’re serious about removing employee engagement barriers, increasing development opportunities is a must.

Failing to consider workers’ career pro­gres­sion will trigger the feeling that they are stuck in a dead-end job. And sooner or later, they’ll jump ship to discover better oppor­tu­ni­ties.

In contrast, employers that encourage workers to learn new skills don’t just retain them longer, but also stand to gain from the new insights employees bring to the table. 

How to overcome this employee engagement barrier?

• Have a professional reinvestment budget. Allocate sufficient resources to invest in each employee’s professional growth plan. Case in point: Jake Goldman, from 10up. In his words: 

“We provide a dedicated budget accrued at $3,000 per worker per year. And we give managers and employees several ways to use these resources, from self-coaching and online classes to attending and speaking at professional events worldwide.” 

• Start by outlining a path for growth that will keep employees engaged and help you retain top talent. Plus, offer support and training in the form of stipends or bursaries to help employees get there. 

5. Not enough transparency

Research shows the majority of employees (75%) care about the performance of their employer, but only 23% feel they have insight into how well the business operates. 

Transparency in the workplace refers to a genuine, two-way openness of communication between the workers and the management. And lack of transparency is an employee engagement barrier that can undermine the trust between employees and managers. 

So it’s essential to show your employees the bigger picture — how their work is tied to the goals of the company as a whole. It leads to a high level of communication and trust, which in turn fuels employee productivity and engagement. 

How to overcome this employee engagement barrier?

• Make sure workers are being kept in the loop about small or large matters concerning the organization. 

• Regarding the decision for which the stakes are high, make it a point to explain the “why” behind them. This is a better approach than just laying down the new rules. 

• Regularly share business performance reports with the employees, regardless of whether it’s struggling or doing great.  

Lack of reward and recognition

According to an Indeed survey, 30% of people who quit their job within the first six months would have stayed longer if they were recognized more for their contributions.

Employee reward and recognition are at the heart of impactful employee engagement strategies and high levels of retention. On the other hand, not having an employ­ee recog­ni­tion pro­gram in place will leave workers demotivated and dissatisfied with the organization. 

How to overcome this employee engagement barrier?

• Recognizing your employees doesn’t have to cost the world. Often a simple (and free) thank you can have a massive impact on engagement. Other ways to recognize your employees without breaking the bank can include a free celebration lunch or a monetary bonus for the employee of the month.

• Make sure you celebrate big and small wins with your team, especially when they exceed expectations. Get creative and make the culture of encouragement and appreciation a central part of your organization. 

6. Employees feeling unheard

A study found that 82% of employees have ideas to boost business performance. But more than one-third of employees struggle to get these inputs to the upper management. 

This is one of the most critical employee engagement challenges because if employees are to be engaged with their work, they need to feel heard. 

A 2020 employee experience study found that organizations that act on feedback have double the engagement score of those that don’t. And this kind of engagement is possible only when senior managers listen to workers’ thoughts and opinions. 

How to overcome this employee engagement barrier?

• Transparent,  one-to-one meetings can help workers feel heard, along with anonymous question and answer sessions and employee feedback forms. 

• Adopt a communication or employee engagement tool that creates multiple channels between managers and workers. Blink, for instance, also lets managers create polls and surveys that can be used to find out what workers really think. 

Wrapping up: 6 little-known employee engagement challenges

High employee engagement is a big advantage that can help you stay ahead of the competition. But as you can see, accomplishing the same remains a challenge for many organizations. 

But that’s not to say it’s impossible.

Top workplaces have been successful at reducing employee engagement challenges with communication and alignment. And there’s no reason you can’t do the same.

These tips and best practices for employee engagement we have shared will go a long way in overcoming employee engagement barriers and creating a workplace where workers feel more included, engaged, and valued.

And while you work on implementing these strategies, an employee communication app can be a huge asset. Request a free Blink demo today!